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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #121461
Title: DEVELOPMENT OF A RESPIRATION RATE MONITOR FOR CATTLE AND SWINE

Author
item Eigenberg, Roger
item Hahn, George
item Brown-Brandl, Tami
item Nienaber, John

Submitted to: Livestock Environment International Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Respiration rate monitors were designed to measure the breathing rate of swine and cattle under thermal stress. The monitors were constructed with commercially available components. The monitors were designed and tested to provide frequent measurements of breathing in order to better understand the effects of stress on animals. This report provides details about the monitors and some measurements from tests conducted at stressful temperatures in environmentally controlled rooms.

Technical Abstract: Respiration rates (RR) were included as one measure in studies investigating bioenergetic responses of cattle to heat challenges. Separate studies considered RR as one response measure in growing-finishing swine exposed to adverse thermal environments. Both studies incorporated RR monitors using small battery powered micro-computers and specially adapted sensors to log RR data. This paper reports the development of the monitors and the relevance of the data as an indicator of stress for both cattle and swine. Characteristic cattle data obtained in environmental chambers and from a field study, as well as representative swine data from a calorimetry study, all indicate an association of RR and ambient temperature (P<0.01). Data reduction and analysis are also discussed, based on representative samples of records collected.